FENNER — A more than 300-foot-tall wind turbine installed less than 10 years ago crashed to the ground Sunday before sunrise along Buyea Road.
This small town of about 1,680 people in northern Madison County is home to a 20-turbine wind farm that can produce as much as 30 megawatts. Construction of the facility began in 1998 and its turbines became operational in 2001.
Marvin DeKing lives across Buyea Road and said he heard a loud bang about 3 or 4 a.m. Sunday. He said it wasn't until daylight that he learned the windmill had toppled over.
"We were notified by the owners of the wind farm this morning," said town Supervisor Russell L. Cary, from his home Sunday night. "They detected it and were out there looking at it. They don't know what happened. They're basically investigating what happened."
Mr. Cary said the 187-ton turbine is located on private land leased by the wind farm's owners, Canastota Windpower LLC., a subsidiary of Enel North America Inc. The turbine crashed to the ground in a cornfield more than 1,000 feet from the nearest road or home.
The company, based in Andover, Mass., operates a pair of wind farms in New York — a 6.6 megawatt facility in Gainesville, Wyoming County, and the Fenner wind farm. The company also owns wind farms in Minnesota, Kansas, Texas and Newfoundland.
Mr. Cary said the importance of the town board's discussion to regulate where the turbines can be placed didn't hit home until Sunday morning, when he saw the mangled tower laying in the field.
"We'd always said we wanted to learn about its impacts," Mr. Cary said.
Enel spokesman Hank Sennott said the company is investigating, but doesn't believe the collapse was caused by sabotage. He estimates the cost to replace the turbine at $2 million to $3 million.
This is the second industrial turbine to collapse in New York this year.
In March, the blades of a 392-foot-tall turbine in Altona, Franklin County, reportedly "ran away," spinning uncontrollably after the unit's braking system failed. The turbine caught fire and partially collapsed, forcing emergency crews to douse flames in the turbine's base.
At the time, area residents heard what sounded like an explosion, and then a repetitive booming noise lasting a few minutes, the Plattsburgh Press-Republican reported.
Turbines similar to the size of the one that fell Sunday are expected to have a 20 to 30-year life span, according to information provided by Minnesota-based wind developer National Wind.
Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties are home to a single wind farm, a 195-turbine facility in Lewis County named Maple Ridge Wind Farm. A number of other wind farms, of various sizes, are being proposed for Galloo Island, the town of Martinsburg, Clayton, Orleans and Cape Vincent.
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